McDonagh still fighting, but admits he’s losing the battle

Fianna Fáil candidate in Clare Michael ‘Malty’ McDonagh has all but conceded defeat in his bid to win a seat in Dáil Éireann, telling The Clare People that his first preference vote just wasn’t high enough to give him a real live chance of winning a second seat for the party in the Clare constituency.
The Miltown man, who is former chairman of the Clare County Board received 4,726 first preference votes, but after the fifth count was trailing Joe Carey (Fine Gael) by 1,781 votes.
“You’re still in there fight,” whispered a supporter to McDonagh as the General Election count continued in the Falls Hotel his Saturday night.
“A fight,” he responded, “isn’t itI the story of my life,” he added when reflecting on his maiden voyage in politics that looks like coming up short.
“I would say at this stage that it’s a bridge too far,” he admitted. “I won’t give in but I say it will be two Fine Gael, Timmy Dooley and Dr Harty.
“I think I would have need another 1000 first preference votes. Fair play to Dr Harty. There is a people power revolution gone to Dublin and I hope they can deliver to the people of the county,”
“The one thing I want to say and I hope you print this — the vote I got in Miltown, I think I got ober 80 per cent of the vote. I got it in Quilty, Moy and Mullagh and 40 per cent in Clounanaha and I’m absolutely thrilled with that,” he added.
As for the future he didn’t rule out making another bid to be a member of Dáil Éireann. “I never make plans and never say never, so we’ll see how it goes,” he said.

Joe Ó Muircheartaigh graduated from University College Dublin in 1989 with a degree in history and politics. After completing a Diploma in Journalism at The College of Commerce, Rathmines in 1991, he embarked on a career in journalism.
Joe spent four years with Clare FM from 1992 and was with The Clare Champion from 1996 to 2005. He has won two McNamee Awards for GAA journalism and has published two books.
Contact Joe on [email protected]